Merz Therapeutics, a business of Merz Group and a leader in the field of neurotoxins, today announced that Health Canada approved XEOMIN® (incobotulinumtoxinA) for the treatment of post-stroke lower limb spasticity involving the ankle and foot in adults.
“This approval means that adult patients who have suffered from a stroke and are experiencing lower limb spasticity in the ankle and foot will now have a safe and effective treatment option,”explains Michael Stone, Country Manager, Canada for Merz Therapeutics. “With this label extension, healthcare providers can now utilize XEOMIN to pursue more comprehensive and individually ambitious treatment goals for their patients.”
Addressing multiple patterns of spasticity with XEOMIN
Strokes are the primary cause of spasticity resulting from damage to the upper motor neuron, producing an abnormal increase in muscle tone. In Canada, 109,000 people annually suffer a stroke1, and 25% to 43% of stroke survivors experience spasticity within a year2. XEOMINwith the active ingredient incobotulinumtoxinA is injected intramuscularly to reduce the abnormally increased muscle tone. With the new approval, XEOMINcan be administered in up to 600 units for upper and lower limbs combined, enabling qualified healthcare professionals in Canada to treat both regions together or individually, adjusting the dosage depending on patient requirements and mobility goals. The safety findings were similar to previous adult studies and in line with the known safety profile of XEOMIN. The most common adverse reactions affecting ≥1% of patients were nasopharyngitis, pharyngitis, tinea pedis, muscular weakness, epilepsy, fall, eczema, dehydration, and blurred vision.
“Foot and ankle spasticity are the most common posture problems seen in the lower limb in adult patients following a stroke. They typically present with an equinovarus deformity, which refers to the foot turning downwards and inwards in these limbs,” said Professor Lalith Satkunam, Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta. “Lower limb spasticity can limit ambulation and impede on patients’ daily lives, so this latest approval for XEOMIN provides healthcare professionals, like me, the ability to comprehensively treat multiple areas of spasticity.”
“The ability to simultaneously treat both upper and lower limb post-stroke spasticity in adults with botulinum toxin using a combined total dose of 600 units makes it an essential tool in our treatment arsenal,” shared Dr. Jehane Dagher, Institut de réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay-de-Montréal (IRGLM), Montreal, Quebec.
